The Secret Sharer" is a short story by Joseph Conrad written in 1909, first published in Harper's Magazine in 1910, and as a book in the short-story collection Twixt Land and Sea (1912). It contains a theme typical for Conrad; he is a solitary character challenged from external and internal agents.
The story takes place at sea, near the Gulf of Siam, and is told from the perspective of a young nameless Captain. The captain is unfamiliar with both his ship and his crew, having only joined their company a fortnight earlier. The Captain is furthermore unsure of himself, questioning his ability to fulfill the role of such an authoritative figure. These themes are explored through symbols throughout the novella.
The story was filmed as a segment of the 1952 film Face to Face.

There are many editions of The Secret Sharer. This educational edition was created for self-improvement or in preparation for advanced examinations. The bottom of each page is annotated with a mini-thesaurus of uncommon words highlighted in the text, including synonyms and antonyms. Designed for school districts, educators, and students seeking to maximize performance on standardized tests, Webster’s paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings. A running thesaurus at the bottom of each page is useful to students who are actively building their vocabularies in anticipation of taking PSAT®, SAT®, AP® (Advanced Placement®), GRE®, LSAT®, GMAT® or similar examinations.

Excerpt from one of the readers reviews:
The "Narcissus" is as dense as poetry also, both allusive and elusive. You can read it as a grittily realistic adventure tale, or as a metaphysical poem of unfathomable depth. I chose to read it both ways. The adventure is a tale of misery and terror, while the little sailing vessel is half capsized in a sea of monstrous waves; like most adventures, it's something to laugh and brag about...after it's over. The metaphysical poem centers on the identity of James Wait, the man of color (if I typed the alternate word here, amazon would squeamishly suppress this review) who boards the ship at the last minute and who declares that he is ill unto death as soon as the ship leaves port. His presence, and that of the sour malcontent Donkin, nudge the crew toward mutiny as well as heroism. That crew is a colorful bunch, a diverse and well-individuated sampling of humanity; depth of character is Conrad's epic theme.

Conrad's first book (Almayer's Folly) and his second (An outcast of the Islands) were situated in Borneo and the Indonesian archipelago. His third book was to have been the work that later came to be known as The Rescue, but which it took Conrad more than 20 years to complete. Together, these three works are known as Conrad's Malay trilogy.
Conrad wrote his Malay trilogy from the wrong end, so to speak; that is, his first (Almayer) takes place latest in time and the last (The Rescue) tells of the earliest beginnings.
Joseph Conrad, born Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, (1857-1924) was a Polish-born novelist who spent most of his adult life in Britain. He is regarded as one of the greatest English novelists, which is even more notable because he did not learn to speak English well until he was in his 20s. He is recognized as a master prose stylist.

An Outcast of the Islands is the second novel by Joseph Conrad, published in 1896, inspired by Conrad's experience as mate of a steamer, the Vigar.
The novel details the undoing of Peter Willems, a disreputable, immoral man who, on the run from a scandal in Singapore, finds refuge in a hidden native village, only to betray his benefactors over lust for the trial chief's daughter. The story features Conrad's recurring character Tom Lingard, who also appears in Almayer's Folly (1895) and The Rescue (1920), in addition to sharing other characters with those novels.
This novel was adapted for the screen in 1952 by director Carol Reed, featuring Trevor Howard as Willems, Ralph Richardson as Lingard, Robert Morley, and Wendy Hiller.

Reflective of Conrad’s realism and pessimism, this is a heart-rending story of an aging sea captain who is losing his eyesight. Captain Whalley conceals his deteriorating condition, regardless of his reputation, in order to provide financial support to his daughter. The love of a father for his only child and the lengths to which he goes to secure her happiness is touchingly portrayed. Nevertheless this is one of the most pessimistic books by Conrad.
Joseph Conrad, born Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, (1857-1924) was a Polish-born novelist who spent most of his adult life in Britain. He is regarded as one of the greatest English novelists, which is even more notable because he did not learn to speak English well until he was in his 20s. He is recognized as a master prose stylist.